An Accidental Coincidence
by Jen
Summary: Sometimes, saving a person four times can be more than a coincidence . . .


Disclaimers: Gary Hobson, Chuck Fishman, and Marissa Clark are not mine,   
are property of Columbia/Tristar Pictures and CBS productions. No   
infringement intended, so don't sue (please???).   


Summary: Saving Sarah Stevens was just a typical day for Gary Hobson.   
Saving her twice was just a coincidence. Three times could just mean she's   
accident-prone. But four times seems to be pushing it. Is she just an  
accident waiting to happen or is there something more?   
  
If you want the season this story takes place, well, I wrote it a while ago, so I'll  
just say this: Chuck's still there.

"An Accidental Coincidence"  
By Jen([jenr13@aol.com][1])  


  
4:45 p.m.  
  
The streets were lined with traffic as Gary scanned the crowd.   
_Where is that girl?_he thought to himself as his eyes darted across   
the sidewalk. He glanced down at the newspaper.  


"Six-year-old Sarah Stevens was hit by a car and killed outside   
Wrigley Field at 4:51 p.m. after the afternoon game. Police speculate   
that she wandered out toward the street when she accidently lost the   
grip on her balloon. Before anyone could stop her a Lexus hit her   
dead on. The driver claimed he did not see her and after questioning   
some bystanders, the police dismissed the incident as a accident,"   
Gary read to himself as he wandered the street looking for a girl with   
a ballon.  


Unfortunately the whole crowd of children he spotted all had   
balloons. "Of course they would all have balloons!" Gary murmured as he   
checked the paper once again to see if it held any more information he   
could use to find the girl. It didn't. He was becoming frantic as he   
glanced at his watch. It read 4:48.  


All of a sudden he spotted a little brown headed girl at the edge   
of a crowd. She had a red balloon and was perched very close to the   
curb. He stood there wondering if she was the one when he saw a black   
Lexus coming down the street. Just then the child lost her balloon.   
Gary didn't even stop to think. He ran across the street, grabbed the   
girl, carried her to the sidewalk, just seconds before the black Lexus   
crossed their path.  


"Thank you mister, " the little girl said to Gary as he put her   
down.  


"Don't mention it. Just stay away from the curb," he said just as   
the girl's father came running toward them.  


"Sarah, what were you doing so close to the street?" he cried as   
he ran. He reached Gary and held out his hand, "Thank you so much. . ."  


"Gary. Gary Hobson," Gary said as he shook the man's hand.  


"Well, thank you Mr. Hobson. Very much."  


"You're welcome, " Gary said, then glanced down at the paper and   
said "I have to get going."  


"Wait a minute, " the man called as Gary ran down the street, "How   
can we thank you?"  


"Don't mention it." Gary shouted as he hurried off to stop another   
incident from becoming tomorrow's news.

***************************************************  


6:30 a.m.  


"Meow."  


Gary turned over as he heard the familiar sound.   
day off? he thought.  


"Meow."  


"I'm coming. I'm coming," Gary said as he rolled out of bed. He   
got up and walked toward his front door and stopped momentarily before   
he opened it. The cat stood on top of the paper, as usual. Gary stood   
there for a second and looked down at the cat. "Can't you be late for   
once?" he said. he cat growled and walked inside. Gary bent down and   
picked up the paper. He had had it in his hands for no longer than a   
minute when an article caught his attention.  


"MILLIONAIRE'S DAUGHTER KILLED BY FREAK ACCIDENT" the headline   
read.  


"Millionaire John Stevens's daughter, Sarah, was killed at 3:23   
p.m. last afternoon when a brick fell off of a window ledge of the   
Stevens' apartment building. The brick was on the ledge because of   
work being down on one of the apartments, but the reason that the brick   
fell is unknown." Gary thought that the name looked familiar as he   
scanned the article for the address and then it clicked.  


"Didn't I help her yesterday?" he said aloud to no one in   
particular, "Why is she in the paper again?"  


Gary wondered about the article as he got dressed and still   
wondered about it as he walked down to McGinty's later that morning.   
He was still looking at the paper as he walked by Chuck.  


"Aren't you going to say hi?"Chuck asked as Gary passed him   
without saying a word.  


"Oh. Hi," Gary said without looking up from the paper.  


"What in that paper has got you so preoccupied?" Chuck asked and   
this time Gary looked up.  


"This." Gary pointed at the article.  


"Millionaire's daughter killed by freak accident, " Chuck read,   
"What's strange about that?"  


"The name, Chuck, the name."  


"Sarah Stevens. What's so different about that?"  


"Sarah Stevens is the name of the girl who was going to be hit by that   
car near Wrigley Field, remember?"  


"Oh, yeah. The one that lost her balloon. So what?"  


"This is the same girl. Twice in a row. That's never happened   
before, unless...."  


"Unless what?"  


"Unless.....someone was trying to kill her."  


Chuck sighed. "Gary, I think that paper is getting to you. It   
says here that it was an accident. It is just a coincidence."  


"Do you really think it could be a coincidence?"  


Chuck nodded.  


"Ok, maybe you're right. Maybe I'm overeacting." Gary sat down.   
Maybe the paper was getting to him. It wouldn't be the first time.  
***********************************************************************  
3:15 p.m.  


The streets were surprisingly empty as Gary approached the   
Stevens' apartment. He got there just as they were leaving. Gary   
checked the windows and spotted the one that held the brick that   
would hit Sarah. Just as she stepped under it, the brick started to   
wobble. Gary saw it and pushed her out of the way just before the brick   
tumbled to the ground. The surprised girl got up and turned around and   
starred at the brick.  


"Thanks mister, " she started to say, but when she got a good look   
at Gary she cried, "You're the one that pushed my out of the way yesterday!"  


Sarah's father looked up then after recovering from the fact that   
his little girl had almost been hit by a falling brick. "Yes, you are.   
I never really got to thank you, but now I guess another thank you is in order.   
Hobson, right?"   


"Yes, but call me Gary."  


"Well, Gary, I don't think we were properly introduced. I'm John   
Stevens and this is my daughter, Sarah. We're very grateful to you. I   
don't know how to repay you."  


"Like I said yesterday, don't mention it."  


"What you did is a big deal, Gary. I would like to repay you. "  


"Not neccessary." Gary glanced at his watch and then at the   
paper. The headline about Sarah had changed, but now it read   
"MILLIONAIRE'S DAUGHTER KILLED BY STRAY DOG." Gary worriedly   
looked down the street and saw a black, collarless dog sprinting down   
the street. The dog got close to Sarah and Gary shouted, "Watch out,   
dog!"  


Sarah turned around to see the dog and jumped up on stairs and ran   
behind the door as fast as her little legs could carry her. The dog ran   
toward the door, but Sarah shut it in time. The dog, losing it's scent,   
ran off at the sound of a whistle.  


"Is it safe to come out?" Sarah asked with the door open a crack.  


"Yes, the dog is gone," Sarah's father replied. Then he turned to   
Gary,"I can't thank you enough."  


"It's no problem." Gary replied, glancing at the paper, relieved   
to see the headline read "TRAFFIC TIES UP CITY FOR HOURS." Then glancing   
at his watch, realized he was going to be late meeting Chuck and Marissa.  


"I really must be going," Gary said to the Stevens as he started   
walking.  


"But we really must thank you....," John Stevens started but Gary   
interupted, "Like I said before, don't mention it."  


And before the Stevens could respond Gary was already out of   
sight.  
****************************************************************************  


4:00 p.m.  


"So he wanted to find a way to thank you, and you disappear out of   
sight?" Chuck said incredibly.  


"Yeah, so?" Gary answered, knowing that Chuck won't understand.  


"Gar, the guy could have given you something incredible and you   
just walk away," Chuck shook his head.  


"Not everything is about rewards, Chuck," Marissa put in.  


"I know, but what I don't understand is that every day you save   
people and you're lucky if half of them even mumble a word of graditude,   
and then when one does and even offers to thank you further, you turn it   
down. Don't you want the thanks?" Chuck asked.  


"Of course I appreciate that fact that he's grateful, but let's not   
go overboard, Chuck," Gary said.  


"He's right, Chuck," Marissa said.  


"I know. It's just the guy was rich. But I know the high life   
isn't for Gary. I mean he could have had it already." Chuck smiled.  


"Anything in the paper for this evening?" Marissa asked.  


"Well..." Gary flipped the paper open, careful not to expose to any   
of the restaurant patrons. He scanned it, and was satified it held nothing   
important untill a small article on the second page caught his eye,   
"MILLIONAIRE'S DAUGHTER CHOKES ON HOT DOG."  


"Not again," Gary said out loud.  


"Not again, what?" Marissa asked confused.  


"Millionaire John Stevens's daughter died last evening around 4:30   
p.m. from choking on a hot dog at a local restaurant, McGinty's," Gary read   
aloud.  


"McGinty's?! As in here??" Chuck asked almost choking on his drink.  


Gary nodded.  


"Well you have to stop it!" Chuck said a little too loudly. People   
turned around from their tables.  


"What I don't understand is how this girl gets in so much trouble.   
This is the fourth time. There has to be something going on here," Gary   
said, wondering.  


"I still think she's just an accident-prone kid," Chuck said,   
more worried about that fact that this incident was to take place in   
McGinty's.  


"Four accidents? That is a lot," Marissa commented.  


"See, Chuck? I'm not the only one that thinks so."  


"Gar, I honestly don't think that someone is out to get a six-  
year-old girl."  


"But how else could you explain it?" Gary glanced around the   
restautrant for a sign of Sarah and her father.  


"Just a coincidence, Gary. Just a strange coincidence," Chuck   
answered.  


"See, even you just said a strange coincidence," Gary said,   
still scanning the restaurant for Sarah.  


"Strange and murderous are two different words, Gary."  


Gary was about to respond when the door to the restaurant opened   
and Sarah and her fatherentered the restaurant. They stopped by a   
waitress and asked her something before sitting down. Another waitress   
approached them and took their order. Before she left he asked her   
something and she shrugged her shoulders.   


"Hey, Gar, what are you staring at?" Chuck asked and Gary turned   
around and said, "There she is."  


"There who is?" Marissa asked.  


"Sarah Stevens."  


"Sarah Stevens? As in the one that going to choke on her hot dog?   
Gary go over there and stop it." Chuck turned in his seat to get a   
better look.  


"Relax, Chuck. She hasn't even gotten her food yet." Gary   
wondered what they were doing here. He would have thought they would   
have gone somewhere else.  


"I wonder why they came here. I mean McGinty's isn't exactly   
what you call gormet cooking," Chuck commented.  
"So, what? Maybe they were just hungry, Chuck," Marissa said.  


Gary wasn't paying attention to them, he was turned toward   
Sarah's table and watched them carefully. The waitress came over with   
their food, and Gary got up from the table as soon asSarah picked up her   
hot dog. She had had about two bites when she suddenly she gagged and   
turned to her father. Gary didn't waste any time, he got up walked over   
to their table and picked up Sarah and performed the Heimlich Manuever.   
Sarah spit out the hot dog and looked up at the man who saved her and said,   
"Look Dad! It's Gary, again!"  


John Stevens looked from his daughter to Gary. He had a   
grateful look on his face, but it was also mixed with a puzzled look.  


"Don't get me wrong, Gary, I am very grateful, but I'm wondering   
how you knew," John said looking even more puzzled.  


"Knew what?" Gary proceeded to ask, even though he knew what he   
meant and what questions would follow.  


"How Sarah was going to choke on her hot dog, and how a brick was   
going to hit her, and how a car was going to hit her."  


"I was just in the right place at the right time," Gary said,   
knowing from experience that people tended not to believe that statement.  


John looked at him, not knowing if he should believe him, when   
Chuck came toward them. Gary gave Chuck a grateful look as he   
approached.   


"Everything all right?" Chuck asked.  


"Everything is fine, thanks to Gary," John answered.  


Sarah tried to look up at the adults, but finding it difficult,   
she got up on her chair.  


"Daddy, can I have another hot dog?" Sarah asked in the mist of the   
confusion.  


"Another hot dog? I don't know....." John started, when Marissa   
walked over with Spike.  


"Oh, Doggy!" Sarah shouted, losing interest in her hot dog and   
running over to pet the dog.  


"Thanks for the distraction," John said to Marissa with a sigh of   
relief, "And you are?"  


"Marissa Clark."   


"And you?" asked John turning to Chuck.  


"Chuck Fishman. Marissa and I are friends of Gary," Chuck   
answered extending his handtoward John.  


John took it and said, "I'm John Stevens."  


"John Stevens. Isn't this the guy you were telling us about   
earlier, Gar?" Chuck asked turning to Gary.  


Gary shot Chuck a look and answered, "Yes."  


Before anyone else said another word, Sarah stood up on the chair   
again and said, quite loudly, "Daddy, we are going to be late for my   
gymnastics class!"  


John looked at his watch. "You're right. I'm sorry to cut this   
meeting short, but we must be going." Then turning to Gary, "I still don't   
know how you knew about Sarah," he said shaking his head.   


Gary stood there thinking of what to say, when Sarah tugged on her   
father's shirt.  


"Come onnnn! Daddy!!" Sarah whined.  


"Ok, Sarah. I'm sorry we must really get going," John said as Sarah   
pulled him towards the door.  


"Bye, Gary!" Sarah called from outside.  


Gary watched them walk out. "Whew! That was close! They were asking   
those questions," Gary said with relief.  


"Well Gary, you got off this time, but what if they come back? What   
will you say then?" Marissa asked.  


"I don't know." Gary stood there in thought. What would he say if   
they came back? He glanced down at the paper, glad to see the headline   
changed, but he couldn't help wondering if this would be the last time he   
saw Sarah and her father.

*****************************************************   


6:30 a.m.  


"Meow."  


The sound seemed to echo the room as Gary reluctantly got out of bed.   
He opened the door, let the cat in, and picked up the paper. He was back   
inside for no than two minutes, when a headline caught his eye.  


"MILLIONAIRE'S DAUGHTER KILLED" the headline read. A smaller headline   
read "Police suspect foul play."  


"Again?" Gary said. He read quickly over the article. "Millionaire  
John Stevens' daughter, Sarah was killed at 7 p.m. last evening outside of   
her apartment when a stray bullet hit her in the stomach. Parmedics pronouced   
her dead at the scene. First suspected as just a stray bullet, police now   
suspect that the shooting was no accident."  


"Not an accident? I knew it!" Gary shouted, as the cat circled his   
ankles. Gary looked down at the cat, knowing when it did that it wanted him   
to look in the paper.  


"I already found the article," he said to the cat, but it continued   
to circle. "Alright, I'll look again," Gary said, giving in to the cat.   
He scanned the paper and was about to give up when a smaller article caught   
his eye.  


"VP FIRED FROM J R&S INC. FOR EMBEZZLEMENT."   


"Huh?" Gary seemed puzzled as he read the small article. "The long-  
time vice president of J R&S Inc. was fired yesterday. According to the   
company, VP Joseph Robinson was caught embezzling almost 2 million dollars   
from the customers accounts. Reports say he was fired shortly before the   
shooting death of the daughter of the company's founder and owner, John   
Stevens. How he was discovered embezzling is not known, but sources say he   
was caught red-handed by an unexpected person. With no real concrete   
evidence the police couldn't charge Robinson, but that didn't stop the   
company from terminating him."  


"Sarah?" Gary repeated puzzled. He wondered about that connection   
as he got dressed and went down to the restaurant.  


"Morning, Gar," Chuck said as Gary walked in, "What's the paper hold   
today?"  


"Something strange." Gary told him about the article and the other   
article the cat had presuaded him to read. When Marissa walked in he told   
her the same story.  


"That is a little strange," Chuck admitted, "It looks like she may   
have been targeted after all."  


"I thought she wasn't just accident prone, but what I can't understand   
is that article about Joseph Robinson." Gary paced back and forth, thinking.   
Then an idea hit him.  


"What if," Gary started, "Sarah spotted Robinson in a tight situation.   
Maybe she caught him with money and didn't know what to do. Maybe Robinson   
frightened her, telling her not to tell, but in the end out of fear tried   
to kill her to silence her." Gary looked toward his friends.  


"But why he would kill her after he got caught?" Marissa questioned.  


"I don't know.....It doesn't make sense." Gary went back to his   
pacing.   


"Maybe it doesn't have to make sense. I mean, Gar, the girl is   
going die, isn't that the thing you have to worry about?" Chuck asked,   
seeing the worried look on Gary's face.  


"I guess you're right, but I don't know why, but I still have   
this feeling that tonight Robinson wants to be on target." Gary answered   
looking out at the street.

********************************************************  


6:30 p.m.  


Gary started down the Stevens' street, when Chuck suddenly   
appeared.  


"What are you doing here?" Gary asked.  


"You think I'm going to let my best bud go off to stop a killer  
alone, did you?" Chuck said.  


"As a matter of fact, I did," Gary said, "This wouldn't have any  
thing to do with the fact that Sarah's father is rich and grateful,  
would it?"  


"Why what do you mean?" Chuck asked innocently. Gary sighed and   
said "All right, you're here and I'm going to need help. We need to find   
Joseph Robinson. The paper said he cleaned his desk out at 6:30 and left   
the building in a huff." He opened the paper to double-check.  


"Why do we need to find him?" Chuck asked, puzzled.  


"Because if he does have to do with Sarah's death, we have to stop   
him."  


"But, Gary, you don't even know if he does."  


"Why else would the cat want me to read that article?" Gary   
turned around and found himself starring toward a big building with the   
name "J R&S" on it.  


"Here we are." Gary announced.  


"Now what?" Chuck asked.  


"It says the paper that he left through the main entrance." Sure   
enough a tall, brown haired man in a gray suit stormed out of the building,   
making a scene as he did it.  


"I can't believe this. There's no evidence!!" the man shouted as ran   
down the stairs.  


"That must be him," Chuck said as the man passed them and walked   
toward a pay phone. Gary motioned with his hand they proceeded to walk toward   
Robinson.  


"What are you going to say?" Chuck asked as they neared him.  


"I'm not sure," Gary admitted. He had to come with something, he   
usually did. It turned out Gary didn't have to come up with anything to say.   
As they reached Robinson, they overhead his conversation on the phone.  


"Yes, I still want the hit. The kid could incriminate me. The   
damn girl already got me fired. If only she had stayed out of daddy's   
office like she was told, we wouldn't have to deal with her. I told you.   
7 o'clock. Make sure her daddy's in sight. I would hate for him to miss this."   
Robinson hung up the phone and then turned around. Gary and Chuck had make   
the mistake of standing too close.   


"What did you hear?" Robinson said to them.  


Chuck backed off and Gary said, "Nothing, we didn't hear anything."  


"Well, I'll make sure off that," he said, pulling out a gun,   
" 'Cause you two are coming with me."  


Robinson pointed it at them and Gary and Chuck had no choice to   
follow.  


"What are we going to do now, Gar?" Chuck said in a whisper.  


"I don't know." Gary whispered back, as Robinson shot them both a   
look and they quieted down. As they led them down an alleyway Gary   
glanced around for an escape. Then he saw it.  


"Look Chuck," Gary whispered, pointing to a dog in the alley, "Kick   
it."  


"What?!" Chuck said a little too loudly, and Robinson pushed the   
guncloser.  


"Just do it," Gary said, crossing his fingers.  


"Okay." As they passed they dog, Chuck kicked it as hard as he could.   
Thedog jumped up and started barking and growling. It seemed to think   
that Robinsonhad kicked it and jumped for him. Robinson lost control of the   
gun and it clattered to the ground. Gary picked it up and gave it to   
Chuck.  


"What are you giving it to me for?" Chuck said, not wating to   
hold it.  


"Keep Robinson here and call the police," Gary answered.  


"You can't be serious." Gary nodded. "Well, where you going?"  


"I have to stop the guy Robinson hired from shooting Sarah."  


"Oh sure, leave me here with this guy," Chuck said as Gary run   
down the block.   


Gary vaguely hear Chuck call out something about leaving him there   
withthat guy as he run down the street toward the Stevens' apartment. He   
glanced at his watch. It read 6:55.  he said to himself   
as he neared the apartment.  


Gary reached the apartment as Sarah hopped down the steps with her   
dad toward their car. He saw a car parked no so far way with a dark man   
seated in the front. Gary didn't doubt for a second that was the hit man in   
that car. He ran toward Sarah and a second before the shot was fired, shoved   
Sarah out of the way. Gary narrowly escaped the shot himself. Next thing   
they knew the dark man in the car he pulled away and a police car had arrived   
and Chuck got out of the it.  


"Gary, we got him! Gar!" Chuck saw him on the sidewalk. "Gary, all   
you alright?"  


"I'm fine," Gary answered realizing he was. He looked at Sarah. "What   
aboutyou?"  


"I'm fine," Sarah answered getting up. Sarah's father rushed over   
toward her. "Are you alright?" he asked Sarah.  


"I'm fine, Daddy, " Sarah said again. She turned to Gary. "Thank you,   
again!" Sarah said, giving Gary a hug.  


"Yes, thank you, again. Are you alright?" John asked Gary.  


"I'm fine." Gary got up.  


"Gar, the police got him. That Robinson guy is going away for a   
long time," Chuck said after Gary got up.  


"Robinson? The Robinson I fired this morning because of suspected   
embezzlement?" John said in disbelief.  


"Yes. He tried to kill your daughter." Gary said.  


"Sarah? But why?"  


"Because she caught him in the act of embezzlement." Gary said.   
John turned to Sarah. "I caught him signing something I knew he shouldn't sign,"   
Sarah said looking at the floor.  


"Why didn't you say anything?" John asked.  


" 'Cause he said he'd hurt me." Sarah looked up at her dad.  


"Oh, Sarah." John hugged his daughter tight. Then he turned to Gary.   


"How did you know?"  


"Chuck and I overhead him at the payphone outside of the office   
building."Gary answered and Chuck nodded in agreement.  


"But why where you there?" John asked.  


"Right place at the right time, I guess." Gary said shrugging.  


John looked at him in debelief and started to open his mouth, but   
Sarah opened hers first.  


"Daddy, leave Gary alone," she pouted.  


John Stevens closed his mouth and Sarah turned to Gary. "Thank you   
very much, Gary," Sarah said, giving Gary another hug.  


Gary smiled. "Don't mention it." He turned to Chuck and they   
went to talk to the police.  


  
"The End"  


-This is my first fanfic and I didn't know about the ending, so   
that is what I came up with.   
Let me know what you think- [jenr13@aol.com][1]   


   [1]: mailto:jenr13@aol.com



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